The Break-In
by jekkah
Summary: Written for BravoExpressions' birthday: Mary and Marshall break into his old house to rescue his comic book collection


_Author's Note: I wanted to write a fic for **BravoExpressions** birthday and this, luckily, came to me in a day. Happy Birthday, **BravoExpressions**! I hope it was amazing!_

 **The Break-In**

"Detective Abigail kicked me out. Said she didn't want a half man," Marshall told her.

Mary screwed up her face. "What the hell is that? A half man?"

Marshall clinked his bottle against glass. "Drink up." He pulled a chair up to her desk and sat down. "Apparently, I haven't been as 'happy' or as 'involved' or as 'attentive' since I had to dump you as my best friend."

"So, let me get this straight: you had to sacrifice your best friend, me, and all my awesomeness," Mary waved her hands over her body, "and she still wasn't happy?" She finished her drink and poured another one. "Marshall, man, you got screwed."

"No, I haven't," Marshall whined. "She made us stop having sex months ago so that it would be better on our wedding night."

Gagging, Mary poured more of her scotch. "I do not need to know that, Marshall. Ugh."

He shot her a sloppy smile. "That's not even the worst of it. She's holding my comic book collection hostage!"

"That bitch!" Mary shouted, slamming her empty hand against the desk. She was on her fourth drink and feeling pretty good as she hadn't been drinking lately.

"I know, right," Marshall agreed. He rolled his head one way and then another. "Hey, where's Norah? 

Mary gazed lovingly at the picture of her daughter. "Mark and his mother took her to New Jersey for the weekend for a family reunion."

Marshall's jaw dropped. "And you let them?"

"Well, I might have put a tracker on both of their phones, in Norah's diaper bag, and in the teddy bear that she always carries."

"That's my girl."

Mary froze at his words. She glanced down, sniffling. "It's been a long time since you've called me that."

Placing his hand over hers, Marshall waited patiently for her to look at him. "I'm sorry. I want to do better."

"I want to do better, too," she said, quietly. "In fact, I'm going to start right now. You and I are going to go get your comic books back."

"What? Now?" he replied. Though his voice was panicked, he still stood when she did.

Mary nodded. "Hell, yes. We're not letting Detective Barbie keep your comic books, not after she tried to break up our friendship!"

Marshall pulled his phone out of his pocket. "But first we're going to call a cab."

"Good thinking."

"Hey Mare," he called out when he hung up the phone. "Thank you for this."

They stared at each other for a few moments before Mary punched his shoulder. "Don't mention it."

Together, they staggered down the elevator and into the cab. Marshall grabbed her hand in the cab and refused to let it go until they reached his old house. Mary had the cab park down the street to wait for them. The house was dark and there were no cars in the driveway.

"What's taking so long?" Mary asked, standing behind Marshall at the front door.

"She changed the locks," Marshall hissed.

Mary stepped in front of him and jingled the doorknob. "Damn. Is there a spare that you keep anywhere?"

Marshall frowned. "We're both in law enforcement. Do you really think that we would leave a key lying around anywhere?" Mary glared at him and he snapped his fingers. "But we did always keep a window on the second floor unlocked."

"Looks like you get to be a step stool, numbnuts." Mary patted him on the shoulder before letting him drag her to the side of the house. She climbed up Marshall, standing on his shoulders. She pushed up the window and hoisted herself through it, barely stopping herself from hitting her face off the floor. She rushed down the stairs and let Marshall inside. "Where are the comic books?"

"In the spare room," he answered, heading that way.

Mary took time to look around the house. "God, Marshall, did you have any input into the decorating?"

Sticking his head out of the spare room, he shrugged. "I got to decorate my man cave."

"Don't save man cave," she sighed.

"Got 'em," Marshall announced, coming out of the room with a box in his arms.

Mary studied him. "I was really expecting a bigger collection."

Marshall opened his mouth to reply, but stopped quickly when a car drove into the driveway. "Shit! We've got to get out of here."

They tiptoed to the window, dropping the box as quietly as they could. Marshall lowered himself down first. Mary crashed down on top of him in her haste to escape the footsteps on the stairs.

"Ow," Mary groaned from her position on top of Marshall.

"Thank you," Marshall muttered from in between Mary's breasts.

Mary scrambled away from him. "Pervis."

He grinned. "I am still a guy."

"Clearly." She shot him a mischievous smirk and waggled her eyebrows. "Come on. Let's continue drinking at, well, wherever the hell it is that you're staying these days."

Mary and Marshall snuck back down the street to the cab. Marshall instructed the cabbie to drive them to his apartment. They headed inside with only a slight bumble to their steps. Mary had poured them each a large tumbler of vodka as Marshall put his comics away. They met on his couch.

"To our friendship," Mary cheered. They both took healthy gulps of their drinks.

"It's been a long time since we've gotten drunk together," Marshall recollected.

Mary nodded. "It's been a long time since we've done anything together."

Marshall suddenly pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I never should have pushed you away."

"It's not your fault." Mary wrapped her arms around him, snuggling into his shoulder. "I shouldn't have taken you for granted. I should have supported you more. I should have let you live your life the way that you wanted to."

"And I should have accepted that your friendship was enough."

Mary pulled back just enough to see his face, but not pull out of his arms. "What if it's not enough?"

Marshall stared intently in her eyes. "Mary, do you know what you're implying?"

"I do." She closed her eyes. "I love you, Marshall. I have for a long time."

"I have never stopped loving you," he whispered. He lay a breath of a kiss against her forehead. "But, we are very drunk."

Mary nodded, opening her eyes. "We are."

Marshall kissed both cheeks. "And I don't want you to regret this in morning."

"I won't," she assured him. He tensed, "but I understand what you mean."

"If you still love me in the morning, then forward we will go. If not, you'll always be my best friend." Giving into temptation, knowing it might be his only chance, he kissed her firmly on the lips. "You can have the bed; I'll take the couch."

Mary shook her head. "Not a chance, buster. You are way too long for this couch. Go to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

"I hope so," Marshall muttered to himself. He changed into his pjs and crawled into bed, enjoying the sounds of Mary settling into the night. Just as he dropped off to sleep, he sent out a silent prayer that she would still be there in the morning.

Marshall woke early the next morning with only a slight headache. He smile, then frowned, as he recalled the previous night. He was afraid to get up and find the couch empty. Instead, he squeezed his eyes shut and willed his body to go back to sleep.

"I know you're awake," Mary said. Marshall's eyes popped open to find her laying on her side on the opposite side of the bed. She chuckled. "Morning, tiger. I was thinking that we could spend the day in bed, then go pick up the cars in the evening, then you can take me out to expensive dinner."

Marshall breathed a huge sigh of relief. He pulled her under him. "I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

THE END


End file.
